Valen-Nine (Goals) Day

Scunthorpe United 3-6 Boston United (National League)

It’s St Valentine’s Day, but not in my house, as I wake up alone tired and hungover from Redditch United and the night before, the Mrs has already sodded off to the gym, and I’m out the door early afternoon and gone for most of the day, back for my M&S meal for two however, by 6:30pm tonight.

It’s derby day, of sorts, Lincolnshire verses Humberside, Boston and Scunthorpe is a match I’ve been lucky enough to regularly attend in recent seasons, and I’m back today at Glanford Park, the Attis Arena, the Pilgrims making their way across county and 60 miles north, I was surprised to hear the distance between the two towns so far.

Distance in league positions is also quite wide but Boston’s form of late under new Manager Paul Hurst is very good, Hurst managed Scunthorpe during testing times six years ago and he’s returned to life at Boston with three successive wins, they came from behind to beat Boreham Wood and had back-to-back 1-0 victories against Sutton and Gateshead to win their last three, a few new players added have given fans reason to be cheerful, Tom Cursons, Jamie Grimes and Jake Rooney in particular, have made a huge difference to their spine and I’m half fancying them to cause an upset today, as I see progress in the way Boston now play, a much more attacking brand than previously under Graham Coughlan.

Scunthorpe also play an exciting attacking brand of football under Andy Butler which is sometimes open to error defensively and in that, they were picked off during a 3-2 defeat at Carlisle last time out, still in the playoffs, they are perhaps losing grip on any slim chance of automatic promotion, but they still have plenty to do to stay in the top seven as the games come thick and fast against more tough and testing opposition to come.

The Iron last beat Boston in the league in 2002 and were knocked out by the Pilgrims in the National League North playoff semi-finals in 2024, the two teams since returning to the National League drew 1-1 at the Jakemans earlier in the season.

I did get to see the wife, briefly, flowers swapped for chocs I’m out the door at twelve, the sun is out today, blue skies, crisp, sunshine, the spring springing as I head across the A46 towards Lincoln where everything is fine and dandy until an accident closes the road.

There’s panic, I’m having to navigate through Lincoln city centre on a matchday (the Imps face Bolton in League One at 3pm), on a Saturday, and everything is standstill, but finally through the chaos I’m back on the 46 before heading North up the A15 and onto the M180 for a short distance.

The Venue

Because of the time I chance parking at the clubs car park, I used to often pay online but the service doesn’t seem to be on offer these days so I recently found a street nearby but that’s another five minutes away on my journey, I’m instead asking the nice ladies attending the stadium gates how much to park “£5” they reply, “but if you’re media it’s free”. Bonus, there’s no need to name check, just tell them you’re special and you’re in!

It’s the same upon entrance; my name is not even on their list today. “Go on” an old boy says at the turnstile. Free parking and free entrance, I feel like I’ve blagged my way into Glanford Park without showing any identification, no remorse at all, but I am here on official business, my name should be written at least on the entrance list, let’s put it down to admin error from my bosses, again.

Inside I grab a quick wee and a coffee as I notice the pitch, patchy, but not at all bad, the green and brown mudded surface is lit up in bright sunshine. The club asked volunteers to move the covers off only this morning, they are helped hugely by the locals here, suggesting a real community spirit about this place, one thing I always get when I come to Scunthorpe, is how the community always seems to dig in and help out.

I’m up to my seat with an hour or so to spare, chatting to a fellow scout he tells me of his whiplash from a car accident he had last week, Radio Humberside with former Iron striker Steve Torpey sitting to my right, Radio Lincolnshire with ex-Pilgrim Peter Costello on co-coms one row above, the ground slowly filling with anticipation, square bowl shaped and propped up the venue has charm but is these days showing its age, it seems every part of the steel made structure has an advert emblazoned on it, even the tweets here have adverts, but it’s these local companies, and that community spirit around here, that helps keep this club alive.

The Game

There’s a presentation ahead of kick off where a cheque for over £2,000 is presented from the supporters club to help the team pay for their overnight stay in Truro when they play in the league later this season, one of the guys presenting is in a full Scunthorpe United kit and sunglasses, every time there’s a game here there’s often many sponsors and corporates on the pitch taking photos ahead of kick off, most are better dressed than this chap who seems to have no shame.

Surface finally cleared, the theme tune from Boon sung, the two teams get underway, Boston in gold and black glowing in the sun, Scunny in traditional claret and blue, and it’s a bright start as both teams play on the front foot, we’re about to be in for a cracker.

Seven minutes it takes, for Boston to take the lead, a floated cross into the box is cushion headed home by Tom Cursons, he’s recently signed from Harrogate and has already scored match winners in his last two games, he looks a brilliant acquisition, a player who was at Ilkeston Town last season, tall and lean he leans in to nod home with an expert finish that only good headers of the ball are capable of.

Boston are 4-2-3-1 and flowing forward but Scunthorpe’s similar make-up makes for an entertaining and attacking start as Callum Roberts, as always, looks to threaten down the right, but the Pilgrims have a corner, on 21 Frankie Maguire disguises a cross which Iron defenders think is going to be drilled into the box, to float towards the edge of the area, I’m thinking in my head ‘Paul Scholes’ as Matty Carson takes a touch, before curling home a beauty into the top corner. My gasp is so loud, the lady sitting in front of me, who’s a Scunthorpe fan, looks around in anger.

It’s a brilliant goal, Matty Carson is a top technician with a wonderful left foot, it’s certainly something he’s most very capable of, now getting a run of games in this team, I’m sure it won’t be the last blockbuster we see from him.

The boos are ringing around the Attis as the fans suddenly seem shell shocked, but soon after things get worse, as Jake Rooney, back post, scrambles home an effort which the keeper can’t keep out, 23 minutes gone and the home side are 0-3 down.

The Score

You feel at no point is the game done and dusted with the attacking threat that Scunthorpe have and ahead of the half hour they pull one back as Cal Roberts cuts in and shoots low, perhaps with aid of a deflection.

But on the stroke of half time silence again, a free kick floated in by Maguire to Rooney, unmarked, aerially Scunthorpe haven’t been at it and they have been done too easily with balls into their box.

However, in deep injury time Scunthorpe are awarded a penalty, soft it seems after a bit of tugging from a set play but Whitehall soon steps up to reduce the deficit, 2-4 at half time and game very much on again.

At the break, former Boston player Peter Costello says behind me “the next goal is massive” as I’m half thinking we probably won’t get any more, but within minutes that ‘massive’ moment comes and is finished off brilliantly by Tom Cursons who races in to dink over the keeper, a fab finish on the break, Scunthorpe again have it all to do.

They haven't given up though, plenty of shots towards goal, there’s shouts for a penalty as Wogan takes out Roberts but then Scunthorpe do get a second spot kick when the Geordie winger is brought down by a defender, he picks himself up to score his second of the game and with a two goal deficit Scunny continue to push in vain, but late on as legs tire sub Donnelly runs clear, he has Cursons waiting to be slipped in and finds the forward in fine form, the big man doing the rest, 'TC' placing home his hat-trick goal and instantly earning himself a place in Pilgrims folklore.

The crowd go wild behind the goal, as the rest of the stadium, starts to empty.

The Stars

Tom Cursons is a hat-trick hero but anyone from Boston can hold their heads up high following a fantastic performance, despite it being the strangest of games, defensively they dug in and worked hard, all be it in conceding three, the match so open that all attacking elements, and a few defensive ones, have to be praised.

I really like the signings of Jamie Grimes and Jake Rooney, On loan from Chesterfield, Grimes knows the level, is solid and reads the game well, has instantly came in as captain and you feel for the first time in a long time, that Boston have a proper centre half that can make a difference, in Jake Rooney beside him, they have a combative young lad on loan from Derby who I think should go on to have a pretty decent career.

I like Connor Teale their right back who can play centre half, he naturally covers around and late on tucked in to offer extra central support when the going got tougher, out left Matty Carson did really well against the best player in the league, but it’s going forward himself which is the skillset Carson brings, with his brilliant left foot.

In midfield, a player I often overlook is Jordan Richards but he’s been brilliant on the few recent occasions I’ve watched him, next to Oisin Gallagher on loan from Lincoln who’s a fine footballer himself, then the trio in attack behind Cursons, Frankie Maguire, full of running, Jordy Hiwula, ever improving, Ken Aboh, probably the hardest player to knock off the ball in the division, the Boston fans often sing Spandau Ballet’s ‘gold’ to him, he’s certainly 'indestructible' that's for sure.

Something Scunthorpe are not in recent weeks is indestructible, they have a good team, but perhaps not a great squad, and it’s starting to show signs of tiredness.

I asked about Oli Ewing ahead of the match, “he’s not been great recently” I was told, perhaps that’s down to it being his first full season in men’s football? Tired legs?

Ewing was dragged at half time with new signing Connor Smith who didn’t play well, Cal Roberts is their star, if he gets injured I presume it would be Scunthorpe's season end, but Alfie Beestin came on and did well, Danny Whitehall in attack always a goal threat, I do like their defenders as individuals, Branden Horton is a lovely left back, but he’s playing centre half, three goals from headers conceded, I suspect if they had a Jamie Grimes or Jake Rooney today, then things might have been a bit different.

The Verdict

Scunthorpe are fifth in the table a good ten points ahead of falling out of the playoffs, they should be alright, but I fancy a couple more additions would help bolster their squad depth, they could certainly do with defensive reinforcements.

As for Boston, on 39 points they’ll be looking to get to fifty and safety as quickly as possible, they are eleven points from any playoff potential, so probably won’t achieve that this season, but I certainly feel they won’t have anything to worry about from those below. A good team, who played a good game, now to get home and back to the waiting wife.

Scunthorpe United: Rory Mahady, Joe Starbuck, Will Evans, Branden Horton (Andrew Boyce 89), Tyler Denton, Zain Westbrooke (Carlton Ubaezuonu 66), Joe Rowley, Callum Roberts, Oli Ewing (Alfie Beestin 46), Connor Smith (Aidan Dausch 46), Danny Whitehall.

Boston United: Andrew Wogan, Connor Teale, Jake Rooney, Jamie Grimes, Matty Carson, Jordan Richards, Oisin Gallagher, Jordy Hiwula (Greg Sloggett 72), Frankie Maguire (Ben Grist 90), Ken Aboh (Kieren Donnelly 79), Tom Cursons.

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 14th February 2026, Glanford Park, Scunthorpe (att 5,421).